3. Building Indicators

 

There is a variety of way to define indicators, answering to different objectives and different assumptions about the nature of reality and science.
 
Top-down approaches
o Expert driven: environment, economics, etc.
o Derived from official accounting categories 
 
Bottom-up approaches
o Participatory methods: focus groups, citizen
o Social constructivism
 
The work of Aurélie Chamaret on developing sustainability indicators for the Arlit mines is a good example of a mixture of both those approaches.